Boat-releasing hook.



J. JORDAN.

BOAT RELBASING HOOK. APPLICATION TILED 001224, 1910.

998,524. Patented July 18,1911.

l v I WITNESSES INVENTUR y fl Jamar e/o mzm ATTORNEYS COLUMBIA PLANOURAPH C0., WASHINGTON. n. c.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JAMES JORDAN, OF SYDNEY, NOVA SCOTIA, CANADA, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-THIRD TO JAMES W. GORDON, OF NORTH SYDNEY, CANADA, AND ONE-THIRD TO WILLIAM ROUTLEDGE, OF RESERVE MINES, CANADA. I

BOAT-RELEASING HOOK.

To all Hill/( 775 it may concern:

Be it known that 1, Jaime JORDAN, asubjcct of the King of Great Britain, and a resident of Sydney, Nova Scotia, Dominion of Canada, have invented a new and Improved Boat-Releasing Hook, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description.

This invention relates to a new and improved hook adapted to be used in. supporting a life-boat or the like, which may be attached to the-boat proper or to tackle, and which is adapted to automatically release the boat from the supporting members by the simple movement of a catch.

An object of this invention is to provide a device which is simple in construction, inexpensive to manufacture, strong, durable, and both quick and positive in its operation.

A further object of this invention is to provide a releasing hook in which the weight is supported on a stationary member, and in which the link engaging the hook is held in position on the supporting member by a latch, in such a manner that little or none of the pull on the link will be exerted on the latch, so that the latch will be readily operated, and yet in which the parts are so arranged that any tendency of the link to slip out of position will draw the latch down into such a position as to more firmly hold it in place.

These and further objects, together with the construction and combination of parts, will be more fully described hereinafter and particularly set forth in the claims.

Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings forming part of this specification, in which similar characters of reference indicate corresponding parts in all the views, and in which Figure 1 is a fragmentary view of a boat with my device attached thereto; Fig. 2 is an enlarged detail view, with one of the side plates removed and some of the members shown in section; Fig. 3 is a vertical section on the line 33 of Fig. 2; and Fig. 1 is a fragmentary view in elevation of a moditied form. in which the hook is connected permanently to the boat.

Referring more particularly to the separate parts of the device, 1 indicates a boat, which is adapted to be supported by the releasing hook 2, either indirectly through a Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed October 24;, 1910.

Patented July 18, 1911.

Serial No. 588,607.

ring 3, as illustrated in Fig. 1, or directly, by having the releasing hook bolted thereto, as illustrated in Fig. 1. In either case, the principle of the hook is the same, and is used for detachably supporting the boat from hoisting or supporting tackle indicated by the block 4:. In the case of the form shown in Figs. 1 to 3, where the releasing hook is suspended from the block 4:, there is provided a shackle 5, which is detachably connected to the body portion 6 by means of a pin 7. The body portion 6 may be of any suitable form, such as a pair of side plates 8 and 9 held in spaced relation by means of a spacing plate 10, and secured together in any suitable manner, as by means of bolts 11. The body portion is provided with a hook-shaped opening 12, extending upwardly from the bottom and then to one side, so as to form a supporting hook portion 13. The bottom of this hook portion, however, slopes away at 1 1, so that if no other means were provided for holding the members to be supported, such as the ring 3, it would naturally slip off by gravity if any weight were placed thereon. However, when it is desired to support any weight, such as the boat 1, the ring 3 is held on the hook portion 13 by means of a latch 15, which is in the form of a bell crank lever pivoted at 16 to the body portion and having one arm 17 projecting across the opening 12 and engaging the ring 3 at the side thereof, preferably in alinement with the pivot 16. The arm 17 is prevented from swinging downwardly by means of a separate piece in the form of a block 18, which is secured between the side plates 8 and 9 in any suitable manner. The other arm of the bell crank lever 15, indicated at 19, extends upwardly and inwardly at almost a right-angle to'the arm 17, and projects in a cavity 20 formed in the spacing plate 10. This arm 19 of the bell crank lever latch is provided with an eye 21, preferably formed integral therewith, to which is adapted to be secured a flexible connection 22, whereby the latch may be released from a distance. The latch 15 is normally held in its position projecting across the opening 12, by means of a spring 23, which may be of any suitable form, but is shown in the form of a V-shaped loop passing around a pin 24 and having one of its legs vfilmtting against the spacing plate 10,

and the other of its legs bent at 25 to properly engage the upper surface of the arm 17.

The utility of the device will be readily understood when taken in connection with the above description.

One of these devices is provided at each end of the boat, and whether it is secured permanently to the boat or detachably secured to the boat, is immaterial. The supporting member is inserted through the opening 12 and held in place against the hook portion 18 by means of the latch 15. hen it is desired to release the boat from the supporting tackle, after the same has been lowered to the water. it is merely necessary to simultaneously pull the flexible connections 22 connected to each releasing hook, when by reason of the inclined face of the hook the weight of the boat will antomatically pull the supporting member out of the opening 12. By reason of the pivotal relation of the latch 15 with the rest of the device, the mere insertion of the supporting member, such as the ring 3, will force itout of the way and allow it to automatically spring back into position across the opening 12, thus holding this supporting member, such as the ring 3, until released by the pulling of the flexible connection 22.

While I have shown one embodiment of my invention, I do not wish to be limited to the specific details thereof, but desire to be protected in various changes, modifications and alterations which may come within the scope of the appended claims.

Having thus described my invention, I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent 1. In a boat-releasing hook, the combination with a body portion comprising side plates held in spaced relation by a spacing plate, said body portion having a hookshaped opening extending inwardly from the bottom edge and to one side so as to form a hook portion on said body portion, of a latch pivotally connected to said body portion between said side plates and adapted to project across said opening, said latch comprising a bell crank lever, one arm of which extends across said opening and the other arm of which extends along the side edge of said body portion and into a recess formed in said spacing plate, a flexible connection for releasing said latch, a block interposed between said side plates and disposed below said latch and adapted to limit the motion of said latch,

and a spring interposed between said spacing plate and said latch and adapted to maintain said latch in engagement with said spacing block.

2. In a boat-releasing hook, the combination with a body portion comprising side plates held in spaced relation by a spacing plate, said body portion having a hookshaped opening extending inwardly trom the bottom edge and to one side so as to form a hook portion on said body portion, of a latch pivotally connected to said body portion between said side plates and adapted to project across said opening, said latch comprising a bell crank lever, one arm ol which extends across said opening and the other arm of which extends along the side edge oil said body portion and into a recess formed in said spacing plate, a flexible connection for releasing said latch, a block interposed between said side plates and disposed below said latch and adapted to limit the motion of said latch, a spring interposed between said spacing plate and said latch and adapted to maintain said latch in engagement with said spacing block, a pin rotatably supportt-a'l in said body portion. and a shackle pivotally connected to said pin.

3. In a boat-releasing hook, the combination with a body portion comprising a pair 01 plates, a spacing member interposed between portions of said plates, a spacing block interposed between another portion of said plates leaving a recess therebetwtaai, and bolts for securing said plates together. of a shackle pivotally connected to said bodyportion, said body portion having a hook-shaped opening extending inwardly tron] thebottom edge thereof to form a hook portion, the lower supporting surface of which slopes so as to form an insecure support tor a member resting thereon, a latch pivotally connected to aid body portion in said recess and adapted to extend across said opening so as to aid in supporting a member on said sloping surface. a flexible connection for releasing said latch and av spring-formed loop, having one leg bent to engage said latch and the other leg adapted to engage said spacing plate and located in said recess between said latch and said spacing plate.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

Ji'tlviES JORDAN.

\Vitnesses TILLIAM RoUtrLnncn, A. M. MACKENZIE.

R Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of JPatcnts, Washington, D. C. 

